Bret Spears was tired of feeling insecure about his job as a full-time dad. Enter the At-Home Parent Replacement Equivalency Chart.
Being a stay-at-home dad, I have man-danced a time or two with insecurities about (not) making that sweet coin. Stacking paper. Procuring pork products and delivering them to my domicile. Um, money. Blah, blah, blah about being a man and the cultural expectations about “wearing pants.” Personally, I hate wearing pants. And, even if I did wear pants in this hypothetical, fiscal haberdashery, they would inevitably be sweats.
It all comes down to feeling significant, I suppose, and whether we like it or not, the Almighty Dollar gets its two cents in almost every time. I’m not saying that it should, but the fact that I feel the need to say so is a clear sign that it does. Becoming aware of our thoughts (whether conscious, sub- or un-) about exactly how we value our station in life is a great first step toward shoring up an identity that isn’t slave to the status quo. So first, become aware. Next, make up ingenious quantifying apparatus to replace the nagging dissatisfaction with aforementioned healthy perspective. Such as this, perhaps:
The At-Home Parent Replacement Equivalency Chart:
Standard hourly child care: $10/hr
General housekeeping: $25/hr
Private tutor: $40/hr
In-house chef: $60/hr
Exorcist: $xx
Child therapist: $150/hr
Home finance consultant: $100/hr
Private shopper: $30/hr
Pet care and grooming: $35/hr
Taxi service: Competitive rates with Uber